Chamber News

Commenting on the Chancellor’s announcement in the Autumn Statement that employers’ National Insurance contributions for apprentices under 25 will be scrapped, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:

“Abolishing employers’ National Insurance for young apprentices will encourage many businesses to hire them, by reducing the costs of employment and additional training. Our research shows that 54% of firms say funding for training and support would encourage them to hire more young people, which is why we have called for increased financial support for employers hiring apprentices.”

Caroline also called for the government to consider introducing a taper to smooth the transistion for those employers who keep young people on beyond their apprenticeship, at which point the full National Insurance contributions would kick in.

The Broads was given the status of a national park in 1989, but for technical legal reasons has its own legislation rather than the 1949 Act which established national parks. The Broads Authority have now been given advice that the similarity between the Broads and the other 14 national parks in the UK is so great that it is now appropriate and legal for the Broads Authority to use the term ‘Broads National Park’ when promoting the area.

Attached a copy of the consultation document which asks three questions:

1. How do you feel about a more consistent use of the term the Broads National Park as a brand?
2. In what ways would you envisage your organisation using the term the Broads National Park?
3. Are there any specific actions the Broads Authority could take to support and help your organisation in using the Broads National Park brand?

There is an opportunity for the Norfolk business community in the bigger process of changing the perceptions of Norfolk and Suffolk to make the wider public more aware of how special the Broads really is. ‘National Park’ is an internationally recognised brand which we should capitalise on. So it would be great when arriving at Norwich railway station or the Norwich International Airport to have the sort of welcome to the Broads National Park, that East Midlands Airport has for the Peak District National Park.

What do you think? The Broads Authority need to hear from you on the above questions by Wednesday 31 December 2014.

Please return your responses and any comments to:

Chief Executive Broads Authority Yare House 62 – 64 Thorpe Road Norwich NR1 1RY

Commenting on the Autumn Statement, delivered today by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said:

“Norfolk has already had positive news concerning the A47 and the Norwich in 90 campaign. When we met the Prime Minister this week we also identified the missing elements relating to our infrastructure which we will be looking for any future Government to address.

The Chancellor has used the last Autumn Statement to demonstrate that he is listening to and supporting British businesses across the country. By focusing on key business priorities, such as Britain’s broken business rates system and the difficulty of accessing finance for growth, the Chancellor has demonstrated that he is committed to solving problems that hinder the growth aspirations of many Norfolk firms.

“Businesses will be pleased that the Chancellor has committed the government to a fundamental review of business rates. This iniquitous tax is sapping good companies’ strength year after year, long before they make a single penny in profits. The review must deliver fundamental change to the business rates system. Tinkering at the edges is simply not acceptable when good companies have to scale back their growth ambitions because of out of control rates bills.

“The government has listened to our calls to improve conditions for business growth. However, the government must ensure that the positive proposals announced in the Autumn Statement do not get bogged down by short-term political thinking, Whitehall bureaucracy and trickle in the banking sector. We will be watching to ensure that the promises made become a reality.”

Commenting on the latest forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility, published today in conjunction with the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, David Kern, Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

“The new forecast confirms our view that the UK economy will grow at a good pace this year. The 3.0% growth forecast for this year is realistic, but the speed with which the economy slows in the OBR forecast is disappointing. While some slowdown may be unavoidable in the face of global headwinds, particularly the eurozone, the UK should still be able to perform well in the next few years, as long as the right policies are pursued.

“On the public finances the OBR rightly acknowledged that the shortfall in the economy’s ability to generate tax receipts is not a temporary problem, but one that is likely to persist over the medium term. We support the Chancellor’s decision to tighten spending further, but not at the cost of business growth.”

ADDITIONAL COMMENT ON SPECIFIC MEASURES ANNOUNCED IN THE AUTUMN STATEMENT

ON BUSINESS RATES:

“Businesses will be encouraged by the government’s continued efforts to curb business rate increases. Firms will also be pleased to hear the Chancellor announce a review into the future structure of Britain’s business rates system. This iniquitous tax is the highest in Europe and a drag anchor on investment and growth.

“However, unlike previous attempts this review must deliver fundamental change to the business rates system. As called for in our Business Manifesto, businesses will not tolerate anything less than a full root and branch review. We look forward to working closely with the government to help reform Britain’s broken business rates system.”

ON ACCESS TO FINANCE:

“For too long young, high-growth firms and business that have a need for working capital have been frozen out of access to finance. The extension of the Funding for Lending scheme and Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme shows that the Chancellor is listening to businesses continued frustration with tight credit conditions. Still, much will depend on lenders’ appetite for risk. The success of this announcement will be measured by whether credit is flowing to small and medium-sized businesses.

“More must also be done to increase access to bond and equity markets for businesses of different sizes. We welcome additional funding to the business bank’s venture capital programme, but this must not result in entrepreneur involuntarily losing control of their businesses before they are able to grow to become mid-sized and should not be the only source of long term, patient capital.”

ON COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER REFORM:

“The existing approach to delivering infrastructure for the UK is unlikely to ensure that we meet the challenges in the years ahead – this has not been helped by the current compulsory purchase procedure.

“In our Autumn Statement submission we called on the Chancellor to increase compensation for people subject to compulsory purchase orders to make the system fairer and speed up the delivery of projects that help strengthen the economy.

“The government’s earlier announcement that the compensation scheme for compulsory purchases will be reviewed is welcome, but we await the full details.”

ON EXPORTS:

“It is encouraging to see the Chancellor announce much needed support for UK exporters. British firms need all the help they can get when looking to trade overseas and the announcement today will boost business confidence and help more companies break into new and emerging markets.

“While more still needs to be done, this announcement is reassurance from the government of the importance of driving export growth and rebalancing the economy over the months and years ahead. It is remains to be seen whether investing more in existing programmes will produce an increase in exports. “

ON APPRENTICESHIPS:

“Abolishing employer’s National Insurance for young apprentices will encourage many businesses to hire them, by reducing the costs of employment and additional training. Our research shows that 54% of firms say funding for training and support would encourage them to hire more young people, which is why we have called for increased financial support for employers hiring apprentices.

“However, some consideration must be made for companies who keep young people on beyond their apprenticeship, at which point full National Insurance Contributions would kick in. The government should consider introducing a taper to smooth this transition.”

ON AIR PASSENGER DUTY:

“While the government has taken steps to reform air passenger duty, they need to go much further to ensure that businesses are not put at a disadvantage when conducting business abroad. By establishing the true impact of air passenger duty on the economy, we will be able to determine if this tax should be significantly reduced or abolished.”

On the back of the news that Norfolk is to receive funding to start improvements to the A47, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber hosted a Chamber business leaders gathering with the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

The meeting gave Norfolk Chamber members the opportunity to explain the importance, not just on this being the first stage to the development of the A47 and the need for the dualling of the Acle Straight, but also the importance of improved mobile and broadband speeds. Other topics discussed were the A140, NDR, improved rail, membership of Europe and how infrastructure investment in Norfolk will support our young people.

The Prime Minister was left in no doubt that the business community were the ‘power house’ of the region and were willing to develop their businesses and create new jobs, provided they were given the tools to do so, which included improved infrastructure.

Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said “It was great to have a robust and lively debate directly with the Prime Minister about the needs and wants of the Norfolk business community. The news today on the A47 is very welcome and a cause the Chamber network had been lobbying for over many years. This is just the beginning though, as we need a start date and discussions as to when other parts of the A47 will be dualled, especially the Acle Straight. We are now looking for good news relating to our lobbying with partners for a better rail service from the Chancellor later this week.”

On Friday 28 Novemberover 150 delegates joined the Norfolk Chamber for a morning of networking, a delicious breakfast and the chance to hear directly from a senior minister, whose name could only be released one week before the event due to security reason.

At the event the guest of honour Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills addressed local businesses and spoke on the Government’s industrial strategy and how it relates to Norfolk.

Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber welcomed Vince Cable to the breakfast that provoked a round of applause from the whole room. Delegates enjoyed a full English breakfast while networking with like minded individuals on their table.

Ian Hacon, President of Norfolk Chamber stood up after breakfast and gave an insight into Norfolk giving a presentation on ‘the good, the bad and the still ugly’ in the region and what improvements still need to be made to help local business prosper.

Andrew Sinclair, Political Correspondent for BBC East introduced Vince Cable MP to speak on the industrial strategy, with the audience able quiz the minister in the Q&A Session.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Industrial Strategy is about government working in partnership with businesses to give them the confidence to invest. Together we are delivering the skills, infrastructure and research funding we need to create long-term prosperity. East Anglia has much to offer as a centre of manufacturing, agriculture and clean energy, and the Government wants to support the local companies that are creating jobs and driving growth.”

The event was a great success and we hope to bring you another senior minister to the region again soon.

Here is what some delegates thought:

Some photos from the day

Click to enlarge

View the full photo gallery on:

The October edition of the Norfolk Infrastructure Update has arrived! Below are highlighted some of the key points from this edition.

• Rail Improvements – Continue the high profile campaign to improve the Norwich-London route – working with Network Rail and the franchise holder, Greater Anglia – and push for improvements on Norwich-Cambridge and Cambridge-King’s Lynn services.
• Broadband – By autumn 2015, the ‘Better Broadband for Norfolk’ project seeks to achieve: a minimum speed of 2 megabits per second (Mbps) for all premises and ‘Superfast’ broadband (24Mbps+) for as many premises as possible.
• Abellio Greater Anglia has had its franchise extended to 2016. The process for the new, longer term franchise post-2016 is likely to be put underway soon by government.
• A47 – Promote the status of the A47 and secure funding for key junctions, a new river crossing in Great Yarmouth and other targeted improvements.
• Fiveways to Thetford improvement – Ongoing speed restriction of 40mph, 24 hrs per day between Fiveways roundabout at Barton Mills and London roundabout in Thetford.

To read the full report on the Norfolk Infrastructure Update, click here.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce has scooped another opportunity for the county’s businesses to connect with central government.

Following the success of last year’s Audience with George Osborne, the Chamber have secured an exclusive date with Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable.

The Chamber’s Chief Executive, Caroline Williams, said today ‘This is an exciting opportunity for Norfolk. Vince Cable is one of the country’s key decision makers and he will be at our business leaders’ breakfast to give us an insight into the Government’s Industrial Strategy and how it relates to Norfolk’.

Giving Norfolk’s business community a voice at the highest level of government is an essential part of The Chamber’s mission, and Caroline Williams is adamant that it’s essential. ‘We have an enormous amount of potential here in Norfolk. We have world class companies, outstanding products and services as well as a ‘can do’ attitude. It’s vital that we are not only kept informed of how Government policy affects Norfolk, but that we inform Whitehall of what’s needed here to maximise and realise that potential’ she said. ‘This audience with the Secretary of State will allow us to connect with Government and make our needs and aspirations known’.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Industrial Strategy is about government working in partnership with businesses to give them the confidence to invest. Together we are delivering the skills, infrastructure and research funding we need to create long-term prosperity. East Anglia has much to offer as a centre of manufacturing, agriculture and clean energy, and the Government wants to support the local companies that are creating jobs and driving growth.

“I look forward to hearing from Norfolk-based enterprises to learn more about their priorities. I hope many will benefit from a closer working relationship with the Government as we rebalance the economy.”

The Audience with Vince Cable will take place over breakfast in Norwich on Friday 28th November. Demand for places is high and Chamber members are urged to make a reservation now.

Caroline Williams added, ‘We’re thrilled to have secured an audience with Vince Cable. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with the highest level of policy making, and it’s another demonstration of The Chamber’s commitment to Norfolk and its commercial community’.

Norfolk businesses planning to watch the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement live on TV or a computer in the workplace are being reminded to ensure they are correctly licensed.

With more and more management teams clicking through or tuning in to view live broadcasts of George Osborne’s Autumn Statement and Budget speeches, TV Licensing is reminding businesses in Norfolk that it is essential they are aware of their licensing responsibilities.

The Autumn Statement, which will be shown on December 3 on a number of channels and online, is likely to prove popular amongst businesses seeking to get ahead as the economic recovery gathers pace.

A TV Licence is required if staff or customers at a business premises watch or record TV programmes at the same time they’re shown on the telly – whether on a TV, tablet, computer or any other type of equipment. And TV Licensing has been working with Norfolk Chamber of Commerce to ensure companies get the message – last year TV Licensing enquiry officers visited more than 33,000 business premises across the UK.

Mr Osborne’s statement is sure to be highly anticipated by business people. Mark Whitehouse, regional spokesman for TV Licensing in East Anglia, said: “With live streaming to events such as the Chancellor’s statement so readily accessible, we know that a host of businesses in Norfolk are going to be tuning in to get the very latest news. But our message to employers and employees is that they need to be aware of the licensing requirements if they’re watching live in the workplace.

“We want businesses to enjoy live television without having to worry about being correctly licensed, so it’s important that business owners understand when they do and don’t need a licence. We visit unlicensed address as part of our work to check that people are on the right side of the law.”

Nova Fairbank, from Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said: “We know that Norfolk businesses want to stay within the law, so this provides a timely reminder for business owners to make sure they’re covered by an up-to-date TV Licence. Programmes like the Autumn Statement are of great interest and are useful to business leaders across Norfolk, but it’s important people are aware of the law and how it relates to the wide range of TV viewing platforms available today. We would advise firms where staff are tuning in to programmes like this not to assume that they’re covered. It’s always best to check that your business has a TV Licence if employees are watching TV via PC or laptop at work stations, in boardrooms or staff restaurant areas. We would always encourage businesses to make sure they’re correctly licensed, and never to assume that it’s been dealt with.”

A TV Licence is a legal requirement and is needed if you’re watching or recording programmes at the same time as they’re shown on TV, costs £145.50 and can be bought online in minutes at tvlicensing.co.uk. In addition to the usual ways to pay, businesses can also pay using BACS electronic transfer. Anyone caught watching or recording live television without a licence risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

This briefing is intended to be an easy-to-use commentary on key global economic indicators relevant to UK businesses. The report will also aim to provide a regular update on UK’s trade position in comparison to its key trading partners.

This month’s headlines:

• Slowdown in Germany, weak recovery in France and a triple-dip recession in Italy weighs on EU growth
• China, Japan and Thailand show further signs of weakness
• Weak demand and US shale gas boom indicates recent falls in oil prices are not over

For the full report please click here

Taking place during National Oil and Gas week, the Norfolk Chamber held an Oil and Gas Debate: Great Yarmouth Business Breakfast sponsored by Ashton KCJ on 13 November at the Race Course.

John Morse, President of the Great Yarmouth Chamber Council & Commercial Director of Gardline hosted the breakfast and led a discussion on the skills gap in the oil and gas industry. ‘A fantastic, insightful, concise briefing which highlighted the skills gap and discussed potential ways to move forward.’ Ian McInally, Ormiston Venture Academy said.

John Morse discussed the need for local businesses to create worthwhile work experience opportunities for students. He provided tips to help local businesses ensure they are offering valuable work experience placements and provided insight in engaging women in the industry.

Petans, Opito and EEEGR joined the debate, contributing with perspective and knowledge to the issues facing skills in the oil and gas industy. Simon Gray, EEEGR discussed how there was a lack of engineers in the nation and how students interested in pursuing a career as an engineer were encouraged to take GCSE Maths and Science. Eric Burgess, Canham Consulting attended and said: ‘This was a useful event in terms of networking and making new contacts. It was good to see young people promoted in the discussions.’

Over 75 local businesses were represented, including a mixture of businesses who are and who are not directly involved in the oil and gas industry. Delegates found the breakfast to be a helpful update and great opportunity to network with a variety of the local businesses.

The Government’s rollout of superfast broadband has passed more than 1.5 million premises and is now reaching more than 40,000 additional homes and businesses every week.

In the East of England more than 227,580 premises can now access a faster and reliable service as a result of the work carried out to date.

26% of all UK connections now superfast, up from just 6% two years ago. Every day more and more people are opting to make the most of all a superfast connection has to offer – be it entire households using multiple devices at the same time with no drop in quality of service, the ability to work from home, staying in touch with friends and relatives using video calls or uploading digital content to websites.

Delivering world class connectivity is a key component of the Government’s long term economic plan, and the rollout has been steadily accelerating since it began in 2012. It has now entered the fastest stage of deployment, with many of the 44 projects across the UK that comprise the scheme ahead of schedule.

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said:

“I’m delighted that the project has now reached more than 1.5 million homes and businesses, giving people much faster and reliable connections. We know how important superfast broadband is to everyone, which is exactly why we are investing £1.7bn in this remarkable project. Our transformation of the UK’s digital landscape is progressing at an incredible rate and delivering a tremendous boost to the nation’s economy.”

• The project has already made superfast broadband available to more than 1.5 million UK homes and businesses
• To date, project partner BT has rolled out more than 25,000 km of fibre-optic cabling, about 25 times the distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
• Around 8,500 street cabinets are now up and serving customers in hundreds of rural towns and villages throughout the UK who were previously stuck with slow speeds and unreliable connections
• Together with commercial rollouts, we have seen average broadband speed in the UK almost quadruple since 2010 (from 5.2Mbps in May 2010 to 18.7Mbps in May 2014)

The rollout is firmly on track to take superfast broadband coverage to 95% of the UK by 2017. It currently stands at around 80%, up from 45% in 2009 and the UK is already ahead of the top 5 European economies for broadband coverage, speed, choice and price.

Bill Murphy, Managing Director of Next Generation Access for BT, said:

“Reaching one and a half million premises ahead of schedule is a fantastic achievement, but there’s still more to do.

“The fibre broadband rollout is bringing really positive social and economic benefits to people all over the UK, and this programme is a great example of successful partnership between the private sector, local and national government.

“BT is investing more than £3 billion of our shareholders money to plan, design and build a national network that reaches as many homes and businesses as possible. We have already reached 21 million premises and our engineers will continue working flat-out to get this technology to some of Britain’s hardest to reach communities.”

Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:

“Many of our members remain discontent with the speed of broadband available to them, despite the fact they are meant to have ‘superfast broadband’. It may have been ‘superfast’ once but the world has moved on. Our digital companies within Norwich are particularly being penalised as they try to compete on the world stage. Technology is what enables our businesses to be competitive and although we welcome the improvements that have been made relating to Broadband there is still a lot more to do to bring Norfolk up to the standard required by the business community”

Official statistics show that in the four years to 2009/10 around 82,730, people began an apprenticeship programme in the East of England region compared to 177,080 over the past four years.

As part of the Government’s review into 16-24 provision, it became clear that it’s not always easy for young people to find full and detailed information about their post-16 options in one place, at the right time, to help them get advice and make decisions on their future. The aim is therefore to create a similar system to UCAS that can help all young students access information on the college courses, apprenticeships, traineeships and other work-based training programmes happening in their area.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “Gone are the days when a vocational education is seen as the poor relation when it comes to choosing a career path. I’m delighted to be able to celebrate such a phenomenal rise in young people being given the opportunity to work as they learn across the East of England region.

“In fact we are just days away from being able to celebrate the two millionth apprentice starting work in England since 2010. Good quality apprenticeships give hard-working young people the chance to aim high for their dream job whilst playing their part in building a stronger economy for Britain.

“Whilst it is truly exciting to be able to celebrate the tide turning with wider-ranging opportunities for our school leavers aside from university, more is needed to show young people that all the doors open to them. By creating a one-stop shop for the growing choices 16-year-olds have, more young people will be able to access the options available to them and make better informed choices about their career paths.”

Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said: “Apprenticeships remain a very important option for Norfolk’s young people. An increasing number of businesses are planning to offer apprenticeship as finding skilled workers becomes increasingly difficult. At Norfolk Chamber we have two staff who have recently completed their apprenticeship and are now full time staff members and have two more currently on apprenticeships.

All four are very valuable members of the team and bring new energy and enthusiasm. We are concerned however that the schools are not taking apprenticeships as seriously as the business community. Apprenticeships are now a very real option which need to be considered by our young people and we would encourage our schools to ensure that this option is given equal weight to alternative routes”